Elric's 2e Builds

[Libra]

Huitzilopochtli is a great hero. A great Thor analog.

It occurs to me that he'd make an even better concept for an amalgam of The Punisher and The Mighty Thor. . .

[Elric]

Thanks, Elric! I originally had this idea on my own after reading the MnM core rules, but I mistakenly calculated the necessary rolls as 6+toughness (forgot to account for the tie-breaker situation.) This will make the math correct. Props to you!

PS It's nice to see that someone else thought damage could be handled "3.5 style" like this. Toughness saves always throw off my DnD-aligned brain.

You're welcome. Note that changing to a "damage roll" interacts with hero points to skew M&M combat more towards offense- see the thread I linked in that post for some more discussion of the effects of using a damage roll.

[Thorpacolypse]

Hmmm...been while since we've seen the Rules Rabbi as well...

[Elric]

Rodrigo Garcia de Navarro

Power Level 8 (120 pp)

Abilities: STR: 18 (+4), DEX: 16 (+3), CON: 18 (+4), INT: 12 (+1), WIS: 18 (+4), CHA: 18 (+4)

Skills: Acrobatics 1 (+4), Bluff 4 (+8), Diplomacy 8 (+12), Escape Artist 7 (+10), Gather Information 5 (+9), Handle Animal 1 (+5), Intimidate 9 (+13), Knowledge [Current Events] 8 (+9), Knowledge [Tactics] 12 (+13), Medicine 1 (+5), Notice 6 (+10), Ride 7 (+10), Sense Motive 6 (+10), Stealth 2 (+5), Survival 1 (+5), Languages 2

Feats: Assessment, Attack Focus 4 (Melee), Benefit 2 (Status: Famous, Master Tactician—Use Knowledge [Tactics] for Master Plan), Connected, Defensive Attack, Elusive Target, Equipment 2, Heroic Assist (Luck 2, Limited [Inspire, Leadership, and Rallying Cry feats]), Improved Critical (Swords), Improved Initiative, Improved Disarm, Inspire 3, Leadership, Leaping 1 (as power), Master Plan, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Rallying Cry, Speed 1 (as power), Startle, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Visual)

Equipment: Sword (Strike 3, PF: Improved Critical, Mighty) [5 ep], Armor (Protection 4) [4 ep], Shield (+1 dodge bonus) [1 ep]

Combat: Attack +5 (+9 melee) [Unarmed 4 dmg; Sword 7 dmg, 18-20 crit], Defense 18 (14 flat-footed), Initiative +7, Grapple +13, Knockback -4 (-2 without armor)

Saves: Toughness +8 (+4 without armor), Fortitude +7, Reflex +5, Will +5

Abilities 40 + Skills 20 + Feats 30 + Combat 24 + Saves 6= 120

Notes:
Here's Rodrigo Garcia de Navarro, an original build based on my build of Rodrigo Belmonte from novel The Lions of Al-Rassan, who in turn is based on El Cid. The picture of Huma from Dragonlance.

Warriors and Warlocks has several 1 pp powers as feats, including Speed and Leaping. I’m just listing Speed 1 and Leaping 1 in the feats section, because if you don’t have W&W you won’t recognize those feats by name.

Heroic Assist is an invented feat; 2 ranks of Luck limited to being used for the Inspire, Leadership, and Rallying Cry feats. Rallying Cry is a feat from Warriors and Warlocks: it lets you use a standard action + hero point to give allies who can hear you a new Will save to overcome fear or lasting mental effects.

He’s going to be used in Ryan Singer’s Warriors and Warlocks campaign in Silicon Valley—see thread here for details if you live in the area! The basic thrust of the story is that the glue that holds the players (and their respective organizations) together is a mutual hatred of the current King. Rodrigo is a famous general who was the King’s top general until an event changed their relationship forever (his background is mostly based on the story from Lions of Al-Rassan).

The Event: Rodrigo leads his hundred-horseman company and “convinces” a rebellious city to pay the taxes it had “delayed” before. The king, unbeknownst to him, has given permission for Francisco de Bazan, an arrogant nobleman, to pillage the city in revenge. Rodrigo, still in the area, tries to stop the madness and attacks Bazan’s regiment, forcing their surrender. He doesn’t believe de Bazan’s story, and permits the fourteen-year old son of a pregnant woman who had been raped and killed in the most brutal fashion to execute her murderer, one of the nobleman’s cousins, by stabbing him through the heart.

Returning to his king, Rodrigo discovers the truth, and is appalled that the king he has known could sanction such a cruel act. The king, in return, is furious that Rodrigo has interfered with his “just punishment,” and caused a rift with a noble family, and orders him stripped of his title and imprisoned to await his further judgment. Rodrigo’s men aren’t willing to go along with this, and spring him from the prison, convincing him to become an outlaw.

Staying in the king’s realm en masse proves impossible, and his company departs to a neighboring kingdom, where they find work as mercenaries. Rodrigo leaves his able second command Alfonso in charge of the regiment and heads back to make further progress in the fight against his former liege, with the idea of recalling his company when it is safe to operate in the open once again. That is, when I get about 10 pp to buy them with the Minions feat

[Dreaming Psion]

That's a pretty neat character with an awesome backstory. Your GM's game premise sounds interesting too. Good to see you posting again

[Bubble Boy]

I love that art and your build is excellent. Story is awesome! I especially love what you did with the shield. I always thought they were kind of complicated in the game. Mine turned out to be messy affairs. I like how simple yours is. I might have to burrow it (that's Kenderspeak for I am soo gonna rip it off! ).

Great job! Keep it up! I am looking forward to more!

[Elric]

That's a pretty neat character with an awesome backstory. Your GM's game premise sounds interesting too. Good to see you posting again

Thanks! Basing the backstory off of a good novel helps.

I love that art and your build is excellent. Story is awesome! I especially love what you did with the shield. I always thought they were kind of complicated in the game. Mine turned out to be messy affairs. I like how simple yours is. I might have to burrow it (that's Kenderspeak for I am soo gonna rip it off! ).

Great job! Keep it up! I am looking forward to more!

Thanks! I wouldn't say my shield construction is especially innovative. It's just using the Shield 1 power to represent a shield (actually, it's really Enhanced Feat: Dodge Focus- see here for why I make that distinction).

Hmmm...been while since we've seen the Rules Rabbi as well...

Who can resist the summons of JMart's uber-CEO?

[Libra]

Kreuzritter? He's so busy statting and posting that he probably wouldn't notice one.

No-one else would stand a chance though.

[Elric]

Half-Crazed Pyromancer
Of course you should fight fire with fire. You should fight everything with fire.
Power Level 8 (120 pp)

Abilities: Str: 12 (+1), Dex: 14 (+2), Con: 14 (+2), Int: 18 (+4), Wis 18 (+4), Cha 16 (+3)

Skills: Bluff 8 (+11), Concentration 12 (+16), Craft [Artistic] 8 (+12), Craft [Chemical] 8 (+12), Diplomacy 4 (+7), Gather Information 4 (+7), Intimidate 8 (+11), Knowledge [Arcane Lore] 12 (+16), Knowledge [Business] 8 (+12), Knowledge [Civics] 8 (+12), Knowledge [History] 8 (+12), Notice 4 (+8), Ride 4 (+6), Search 4 (+8), Sense Motive 4 (+8), Sleight of Hand 8 (+10), Stealth 4 (+6), Survival 4 (+8)

Feats: Artificer, Attack Focus 2 (ranged), Diehard, Equipment, Improved Initiative, Precise Shot, Ritualist, Set Up, Taunt, Ultimate Effort (Will save)

Powers: Immunity 5 (Fire damage; Sustained), Super-Senses 2 (Magical Awareness [Acute])

Sorcery Array 10: When you use a power in this array, divide its pp by 2 (round up); you have to roll a Will save against a Fatigue power at this rank (DC 10 + rank).
Cost: 10 ranks of Array at 1 pp/2 ranks + 5 Alternate Power power feats= 10 pp.
Base Power: Fire Control 10 (20 pp)
AP: Blast 10 (20 pp)
AP: Fireball: Blast 6 (Extra: Area—Burst) (18 pp)
AP: Fire Flash: Dazzle 10 (Visual, 20 pp)
AP: Drain Toughness 10 (Extras: Ranged, Affects Objects and only Objects (+0)) (20 pp)
AP: Nova Blast: Strike 8 (Extra: Area—Burst) (16 pp)

Device 2 (Shield Bracelet, hard to lose) (8 pp)
Shield Bracelet: Force Field 6, Enhanced Feat 4: Dodge Focus 4

Equipment: Daggers (Blast 2, Improved Critical) [5 ep], ritual accoutrements

Combat: Attack +4 (+6 ranged), Defense 18 (14 without Shield Bracelet, 12 flat-footed), Initiative +6, Grapple +5, Knockback –4 (–1 without Shield Bracelet)

Saves: Toughness +8 (+2 without Shield Bracelet), Fortitude +5, Reflex +5, Will +11

Drawbacks: Power Loss (Sorcery Array, when unable to speak or perform gestures, –2 points)

Abilities 32 + Skills 30 + Feats 11 + Powers 25 + Combat 12 + Saves 12– Drawbacks 2 = 120

Notes: This character is a PL 8, 120 pp PC based on the half-crazed warmage archetype in Warriors and Warlocks. The picture is of and the quote is by Jaya Ballard, a character in the Magic the Gathering universe.

Sorcery is an Array structure in Warriors and Warlocks. For each 1 pp you spend, you get 2 ranks of Array with the Side Effect 2 [Fatigue (Alt Save: Will), always occurs] flaw (each rank in Array provides 2 pp to spend on powers). The Array structure was first detailed in Ultimate Power; it’s a generalization of Alternate Powers—you find the beginnings of this in the core book with the Magic power.

Note that you can choose to use any of her powers at lower than its maximum rank, which you may want to do in non-combat situations so that the Fatigue DCs are easier. I bought her Daggers as Blast because the idea is that she has enough to use several thrown daggers in a single fight.

[Thorpacolypse]

I love that pyromancer build, Elric. And I really like that Sorcery set up. I hadn't read much on the magic in Warriors and Warlocks and since I am getting ready to run a Dresdenverse game, that flaw seems to be close to how the magic works in that universe. Thanks for showing a real application of it.

[Elric]

I love that pyromancer build, Elric. And I really like that Sorcery set up. I hadn't read much on the magic in Warriors and Warlocks and since I am getting ready to run a Dresdenverse game, that flaw seems to be close to how the magic works in that universe. Thanks for showing a real application of it.

Thanks. Half-crazed pyromancers are pretty fun.

[Elric]

What's a challenging and appropriate fight for your characters?

See this thread, which was an attempt to work out a system along these lines. I'm putting a summary here so that I can easily link to it, and because there may be a few regulars who haven't seen it yet.

Here are the essential parts. A key supposition is that an NPC of a given PL is essentially just as strong as a PC of that PL. However, this assumption is often suspect in M&M because PL isn't a great predictor of raw combat ability. Paragon's thread on the limits of PL is a great exploration of this issue, and includes a "virtual PL" system that gives a (typically conservative) indication of how much stronger particular abilities make a character.

The basis for the specific numbers here is the assumption that combat power roughly doubles when you add 2 PLs. Watch out for a villain who is "PL 12" because of PL 12 offensive abilities, but only has PL 8 defensive abilities. This villain is nowhere near as tough as his PL suggests (I'd average these two numbers and treat him as PL 10). If there are few villains, villains with area attacks tend to be stronger, as they are not constrained by potentially hitting their allies.

PCs generally have an advantage in that they start with 1 hero point, while each use of GM Fiat to duplicate the effects of a hero point for a villain gives them an additional hero point (and this is even greater if PCs have the Luck feat or have accumulated additional hero points in play). However, sometimes even though players have several hero points between them, some PCs are out of hero points and vulnerable; this won't happen to the GM's individual villains.

Over the past few day, I've been tinkering with a set of guidelines for designing encounters for GMs to use. M&M's flexibility is a huge advantage in many ways, but it can make tweaking encounters more difficult, as it becomes more of a "feel" than a science.

To that end, I've put together these guidelines for approximating how many enemies you need to challenge a group of PCs at vary levels of difficulty, and how powerful you need to make those NPCs.

Step 1: How Dangerous?
Encounters are rated by how dangerous they are, or how difficult it will be for the players to overcome them:

TABLE 1: ENCOUNTER DANGER RANK
Danger Rank: Description
0: No Danger; there is almost no possible way that the PCs could suffer injury, much less defeat
: Minimal Danger; the PCs have almost no chance of being defeated
: Modest Danger; the PCs stand to suffer some injuries if they're not careful
: Significant Danger; the PCs are likely to win the fight, but it will require smart play to come out on top
: Serious Danger; the PCs are going up against a real threat and could just as easily win as they could lose, and will need to play smart to win
: Severe Danger; The PCs are going to be outmatched and without very clever gameplay and teamwork, they're more likely than not going to lose
: Overwhelming Danger; the PCs are very likely to lose the encounter, and only tremendous luck or playing at the top of their game can see them through

Step 2: Challenge Rank
Next, you need to figure out just how many NPCs to challenge your party with (and just how powerful to make them). Depending on how challenging you wish to make the encounter (see Step 1), you can have more or fewer NPCs of higher or lower power level. To determine this, you need to determine the total Challenge Rank for the encounter:

Encounter Challenge Rank = Danger Rank x Number of Party Members

So if a group of four PCs is going to face an encounter of Serious Danger (), then the encounter will have a total Challenge Rank of 16.

Step 3: How Many NPCs? How Strong?
The total Challenge Rank of an encounter can be distributed in any way you like among the enemies the PCs will face. You can divide the Challenge Ranks to many NPCs, or only a few. Depending on how many ranks you assign each enemy, it will change what Power Level that NPC is.

TABLE 2: NPC POWER LEVEL
NPC's Challenge Rank: NPC's Power Level
Challenge Rank 1: Party's PL -4 or lower
Challenge Rank 2: Party's PL -2 or -3
Challenge Rank 3: Party's PL -1
Challenge Rank 4: Party's PL
Challenge Rank 5-6: Party's PL + 1
Challenge Rank 7-9: Party's PL + 2
Challenge Rank 10-13: Party's PL + 3
Challenge Rank 14-19: Party's PL + 4
Challenge Rank 20+: Party's PL + 5

So long as the total Challenge Ranks of all of the enemies put together are equal to the Danger Rank x the number of PCs in the party, you'll still have an appropriate encounter for that Danger Rank. A Challenge Rank 16 encounter for a party of four PL 10 PCs could consist of four PL 10 enemies, or two PL 12 enemies, or one PL 14 enemy, or two PL 10 enemies and one PL 12 enemy, or eight PL 7-8 enemies [since the above table is using integer values, an enemy at party PL -2 or party PL-3 has Challenge Rank 2], or just about any other combination you can imagine.

Simplifying
A helpful aid for this stage, especially if you're trying it for the first time, is to put a stack of poker chips or pennies in front of you for each enemy's Challenge rank. As you add or subtract enemies, or increase or decrease their power level, you can track it easily with the tokens.

Minions are weaker than villains of the same PL and their challenge ranks reflect this. Using the above notation, minions would often be worth a fraction of a challenge rank; to avoid this, minions are listed as minions per challenge rank. The minions come out of the same challenge rank budget for the encounter. For example, if you want to include challenge rank 4 worth of minions of Party PL-3, use 3 minions per challenge rank * 4 challenge rank= 12 Party PL-3 minions.

The power of minions can vary greatly with how spread out they are combined with the area attack/Takedown Attack capability of the party. Minions may not be as challenging to a particular group as these numbers suggest. This table is based on the idea that 4 minions= 1 villain of a given PL. Besides the formal minion rules, minions tend to be weaker in other ways; e.g., they generally don't have abilities like Mental Blast!

Party PL-8= 16 minions for 1 challenge rank
Party PL-7= 12 minions for 1 challenge rank
Party PL-6= 8 minions for 1 challenge rank
Party PL-5= 6 minions for 1 challenge Rank
Party PL-4= 4 minions for 1 challenge rank
Party PL-3= 3 minions for 1 challenge rank
Party PL-2= 2 minions for 1 challenge rank
Party PL-1 to Party PL= 1 minion for 1 challenge rank

[Thorpacolypse]

Once again, perfect timing. I'm getting ready to run a game and I was debating what types of challenges to throw at the guys and now I have a better basis. Excellent stuff as usual.

[Elric]

Here's a change of pace: this is a (Warriors and Warlocks) campaign summary, written in the form of a letter from my character, Rodrigo Garcia de Navarro, to his wife. The pyromancer's build is very similar to that posted here.

The basic thrust of the story is that the glue that holds the players (and their respective organizations) together is a mutual hatred of the current King. Rodrigo is a famous general who was the King’s top general until an event changed their relationship forever and led him to become an outlaw.

My dearest Miranda,
It is hard for any man to be separated from his wife for such a time. I do not know when this letter may reach you, for it is not yet safe for me to send such letters, as it could reveal my location to King Gomez, or your location as well. I knew this would occur when I refused to accept the King’s imprisonment, and was sentenced to permanent exile on pain of death in absentia. Still, I write this now confident that it will be delivered to you as conditions improve in due time.

I have continued to find my way in this now treacherous land. I heard through the network of those still loyal to me that a powerful pyromancer prisoner was being transported near a frontier town. I was able to recruit a mysterious and gruff dwarf, Dwurt—possessed of impossible strength, wearing spiked armor, and wielding a rod with which he can heal grievous wounds—who harbors no love for the King and wishes to break into his dungeon, presumably to rescue someone he cares deeply about. With his aid, we freed this fire mage—though his indiscriminate use of his magic in the escape nearly incinerated me. The dwarf is also not very disciplined—my task as a commander is ever-difficult.

This mage did not even remember his own name—I named him Ember because he only remembers fire magic—but more on that later. We took refuge with a kindly innkeeper sympathetic to my cause. However, the local lord found out about our location, and set fire to the inn. With the help of the mage and dwarf, we were able to put out the fire, rescue the residents of the inn, defeat the guards, and get away. We discovered, but were able to evade, a battalion of troops on the move.

We then arrived at the capital city, where we were smuggled in with the help of a curious man, one D.W. Unfortunately I was recognized as we passed through the military quarter, but was able to escape. D.W. runs The Black Hand, a less openly-violent rival to the Thieves Guild, and, being quite resourceful, he was able to successfully spread the rumor that the Thieves Guild had brought me to the city, enabling him to expand his own empire at their expense. I do not always like it, but we are allied for now.

At this point, I was able to discover the identity of our mage—his true name is Alcazar, and he was once the head diviner in the mage’s guild, until he went to tell the king about a disturbing prophecy, at which point he was never heard from again. Looking for allies, I contacted a former member of my company, Lt. Jose Cuervo, who now works for House Than, the noble house with the greatest claim to the throne besides Gomez’s; they believe in just rule, and have no love for Gomez’s cruelty and desire to make war on surrounding kingdoms to expand his domain.

I adopted the false identity of Inigo Montoya, leader of the Hammer of the Dawn mercenaries, with the help of D.W.’s disguise (which makes me seem less commanding and less handsome; that is why it is effective). We defeated and captured a local bandit, Thog, who we baited with the cabbages of a hapless vendor, for House Than. This led to an audience with Lord Than, to whom I revealed my identity (though his spymaster had already deciphered it). Though sympathetic, he wasn’t willing to move against the king openly—but at my request he gave me a letter to the head of the mage’s guild, Dean Ablemarle, saying to trust us, and had his personal mage, Barnabus, teleport us to the mage guild, normally inaccessible because it floats in the sky.

When we secured an audience with Dean Ablemarle (a kindly gnome evoker with a voice that can knock a man over when he is upset), he recognized Alcazar, who he had thought was dead. It turns out Alcazar made a painting of his final vision—it featured the capital city ruined and the emblem of Bane, the evil deity of conquest, everywhere. We suspect Gomez himself is a Bane-worshipper and imprisoned, tortured, and disfigured Alcazar because he learned about Gomez’s plans.

Alcazar’s memory is returning slowly, but he does not remember divination. His main student, Maria Davarro, had partaken of the herb of the north rather than any studies in his absence. Tomorrow we will go to the Chapel of the Missionaries of the Silver Flame in this city; the Silver Flame was created from the sacrifice of the noble coatls in order to ward off demons, and it is a common faith among adventurers. We may find more leads to Bane-worshippers there.

I suspect that traitors have infiltrated the mage guild; trustworthy allies are hard to find.
Indeed, scary events have already occurred—a few months ago, the mages report that there was an unprecedented dimensional breach [OOC: this was D.W., a Timelost “Hero”, arriving from a wormhole in Earth’s 21st century].

I trust that my second-in-command Alfonso has provided for your welfare in exile. Give my love to Diego and tell him his father is well. Do not worry, I remember your threat to kill me if I strayed, and rest assured, I do not mean to cause you to carry it out.

Rodrigo Garcia

[Elric]

Barbarian Champion

Power Level 10 (150 pp)

Abilities: Str: 22 (+6), Dex: 18 (+4), Con: 22 (+6), Int: 12 (+1), Wis: 12 (+1), Cha: 14 (+2)

Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+12), Bluff 10 (+12), Climb 8 (+14), Intimidate 14 (+16), Notice 12 (+13), Ride 4 (+8), Sense Motive 8 (+9), Stealth 4 (+8), Survival 12 (+13), Swim 4 (+10)

Feats: All-Out Attack, Attack Focus 2 (Melee), Attack Specialization (Unarmed), Chokehold, Diehard, Endurance, Equipment 3, Fearless, Fearsome Presence 6, Grappling Finesse, Improved Grab, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Leadership, Leaping 1, Luck, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Speed 1, Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Tough 3, Track, Uncanny Dodge (Visual)

Equipment: Arsenal: [9 ep base + 2 APs= 11 ep]
Bow (+3 damage, 100 ft range increment) [9 ep]
AP: Sword (+3 damage, critical 19-20)
AP: Knife (+1 damage, Throwing increment 10 ft, 19-20 crit)

Combat: Attack +9 (+11 melee, +13 Unarmed) [Unarmed 6 dmg; Sword 9 dmg, 19-20 crit; Bow 8 dmg; Knife 7 dmg, 19-20 crit], Defense 21 (16 flat-footed), Initiative +8, Grapple +17, Knockback –4

Saves: Toughness +9, Fortitude +10, Reflex +8, Will +8

Abilities 40 + Skills 20 + Feats 35 + Combat 40 + Saves 15 = 150 pp

Notes: Here’s my take on a PL 10 Barbarian- this character can be seen as an upgrade on either the Warriors and Warlocks PL 9 Barbarian Warlord villain archetype or the PL 8 Mighty-Thewed Barbarian archetype. This character isn't meant to duplicate Conan exactly, but I had to take the opportunity to use a picture of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

If you’re using this build as an NPC, he should have additional minions, headquarters, and equipment as appropriate. Note that the Barbarian Warlord in W&W has Fort/Ref/Will saves that are way too high for a PL 9 character.

W&W has a 1 pp powers as feats options, including feats that duplicate Speed 1 and Leaping 1. Rather than listing these feats I’ve listed Speed 1 and Leaping 1 directly, since people without W&W wouldn’t recognize the feat names. The Tough feat adds 1 to your Toughness save per rank (essentially duplicating the Protection power).

For the equipment, I’m assuming that he can only add 5 points of his Strength bonus to the bow’s damage, as W&W suggests should be a normal maximum. Warriors and Warlocks doesn’t have its archetypes pay pp costs for equipment; to keep my builds more broadly usable, I’m paying pp costs for equipment, though using an Arsenal (equipment array) to keep costs down.